kathleen, I wiould also kill for those individual pumpkin soup tureens. I love them! Your table is gorgeous. I would love to know what was on that pear salad. Walnuts, onions, and greens, and what kind of dressing? It is absolutely gorgeous. Simple but impressive. I never would have thought of something like that. Actually, ALL the tables here were gorgeous. And I would LOVE pheasant salt and pepper shakers. You probably couldn't see, but the silverware I had was Reed & Barton pheasants. So cute, and I got them so cheap. Natesgramma, your plates are lovely. If they wre wallpaper or fabric, they would be toille. I absolutely love toille. They look perfect for thanksgiving. Loves2cookfor6, your table is stunning. I adore that tablecloth. It lends such a festive and seasonal air to your table and its stylishly simple plates, all dressed up with gold chargers. Lovely! Annie, your table centerpiece is the best of all, cause it is with your beautfiul grandbabies in mind instead of stuffy old adults. ntt hou, your table from several years ago was lovely, but I also loved what you did for yourself. You still made a setting that was pretty and comforting to you, and your food looked fabulous. kathleen li, all I can say is this: "House and Garden." that's the magazine your gorgeous table should be displayed in. gbsim, you have nothing to feel sheepish about. Your table looks beautiful! (And I love those dining chairs) bon, I would love to be able to put together a gorgeous centerpiece like that roses centerpiece. Nice to have friend with those kinds of talents. This was fun. I love to sneak peeks into others peoples tables. Sherry

Here you go! This is a video that I used. I agree, I love this method. There are those that disagree. It's great, and doesn't even need salt or butter! If the video doesn't work for you Type in Shucking Corn with Ken in a search Here is a link that might be useful: Shucking corn Clean Ears Every Time

Mom is doing okay. She's 87 now, and pretty much needs a wheelchair for when she leaves the apartment. She was having her toes operated on for ingrown toenails. She came through it really well and after 2 days says there really isn't any discomfort. She's a trooper. I got a lot done while there, changed sheets, laundry, cleaned and organized both bathrooms, cleaned and organized the fridge, stocked her cupboards, rearranged the furniture for wheelchair access, doctor's appointments.....the list goes on, but it felt good to get all these things done. I came up with an idea for her fridge. She can't reach the lower shelves or the backs of the middle and lower shelves. So I went to the Dollar Store, bought some shallow plastic baskets, and put all the jars in them, jams in one, pickles and condiments in another, etc. This way she can just pull a basket out, choose what she wants, slide it back in. I liked the idea so much, I bought some baskets for me too.

I've never seen scalloped potatoes with bacon either - though I guess that could be a riff on the basic recipe. There's no need for flour in a recipe. The potato starch together with the heated butter and cream will thicken it up just fine. If you have Trader Joes in your area, it's a great source for real Gruyere cheese. The TJs in my area sell a couple of kinds from Switzerland and they're both excellent and very modestly priced.